Metering valve for filler machines



c. F. HAMMANN 2,573,566

METERING VALVE FOR FILLER MACHINES Oct. 30, 1951 JSJ I Il',

z /N VEN To@I /s-f j WUR-gigi Oct. 30, 1951 c. F. HAMMANN METERING VALVEFOR FILLER MACHINES 6 SheecS--Shee'l 2 Original Filed Oct. 20, 1945 IllHHIII Il llll.lbhl\\\ "gti-Q INVENTOR.

Oct. 30,V 1951 c. F. HAMMANN 2,573,566

METERING VALVE: FOR FiLLER MACHINES Original Filed Oct. 20, 1943 6Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

Oct. 30, 1951 c. F. HAMMANN 2,573,566

METERING VALVE FOR FILLER MACHNES original Filed oct. 2o, 194s esheets-shew 4 Oct 30, 1951 c. F. HAMMANN METERING VALVE FOR FILLERMACHINES 6 Sheets-Shee?l 5 Original Filed Oct. 20, 1945 u H.- md.

*gl IvNvENToR BY WQTW/ C ct. 30, 1951 c..F. HAMMANN METERING VALVE. FORFILLER MACHINES 6 Sheets-Shee 6 Original Filed Oct. 20, 1945 PatentedOct. 30, 1951 METERING VALVE FOR FILLER MACHINES lCarl F. Hammann,Boston, Mass., assignor to North American Research Corporation,Cambridge, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts original applicationoctober 20, 1943, serial No. 506,931. Divided and this application July19, 1947, seria1N0.762,135

s claims. (o1. 222-413) This invention relates to apparatus for applyingplastic material to articles, and, more particularly, to machines forapplying filler material to the bottoms of shoes.

The present application is a division of the inventors copendingapplication, Serial No. 506,931, filed October 20, 1943, now issued asPatent No.

2,452,565, dated November 2, 1948. For subject matter shown anddescribed but not claimed in the present and parent application,reference is made to other copending divisional applications, Serial No.762,136, filed July 19, 1947, and Serial No. 762,137, led July 19, 1947,now issued as Patent numbers 2,485,595 and 2,485,596, respectively, bothdated October 25, 1949.

Itis the general object of the invention to provide a mechanism forapplying to articles of varying size, such as shoes, a metered amount ofplastic material according to the size of each individual article. Themechanism'consists in general of a container for holding a supply ofller material, van adjustable metering valve, and means for deliveringthe filler material to the valve and depositing the metered amount onthe shoe.

The descriptionl refers to drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a partial cross-section of an automatic filler machineemploying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a section on line A2 2 of Fig. 1 with parts of theshoe-supporting jack mechanism removed;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of parts of the fillermaterial feeding and delivering mechanism shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is a section through the feeding mechanism, on line 4-4 of Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a section through the delivering mechanism, on line 5-5 ofFig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a detail of the xed valve-adiusting cam forming part of thedelivery controlling valve mechanisms shownin Figs. 1 and 7;

Fig. 7 is a plan View, partly in section, of the delivery valve;

Fig. 8 is an end elevation of part of the mechanism which spreads, ironsand distributes the ller material deposited upon a shoe by the mechanismshown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 9 is a section, through the slide of the ller distributingmechanism, on line 9--9 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 10 is a similar section, normal to that of Fig. 9, on line IIJ- I0of Fig. 9;

Fig. 11 is a horizontal section, through the upper part of thedistributing mechanism, on line II--II of Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a vertical section through the feeding clutch mechanism shownin Fig. 3;

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the linkage between shoe jack and llermechanisms as shown in Fig. 2, with the frame omitted;

Fig. 14 is a section on line I4-I4 of Fig. 13;

Fig. 15 is a section on line I5-I 5 of Fig. 13; and

Fig. 16 is a section on line Iii-I6 of Fig. 13.

The invention is illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 as applied to an automaticshoe ller machine of the type described in detail in Patent No. 2,452,-565 referred to above. Such a machine consists in general of a circulartable carrying a number of radially disposed shoe jacks on which lastedshoes may be placed. The table is rotated by a Geneva motion so as toadvance the shoe jacks, with the lasted shoes, one at a time to thestation at which the filler depositing mechanism, which is the inventionherein described in detail is located. The driving mechanism of thetable, also through suitable linkage controls the operation of the llerdepositing mechanism and causes the metered amount of iiller material tobe deposited at the time when a shoe is in the proper position.

The jacks are individually adjustable to the size of the shoe placedthereon and a suitable linkage is provided for adjusting the fillermetering valve according to the size adjustment of the jack whileadvancing into position under the filler depositing mechanism.

Referring in more detail to the drawings, the driving and operatingmechanism of such a machine are illustrated in Fig. 1 as mounted on ahousing having a top wall I2 and side walls I3 supported by a base andcorner posts (not shown) Rigidly fixed at its lower end to the top wallI2 by means of set screws (Fig. 1) is an upstanding pivot post 9 onwhich is rotatably mounted a turret head I4 driven by a Geneva motionmechanism mounted underneath top wall I2. In the machine described inPatent No. 2.452.565. dated November 2, 1948, live step movements areimparted to the turret head by the Geneva motion to eifect one completerevolution thereof.

Five jack mechanisms exemnlied by jack 80, are mounted in equally spacedpositions around the top circumference of turret head I 4.

The hub Ida of the turret head, including the slotted wheel I 5, restsupon and is supported by a ball bearing 20 mounted within a recessprovided in ton wall I2.

The vertical shaft I1, which carries the turretactuating arm I6, isiournaled in two bearings, one of ywhich is provided on top wall I2 andthe other on a gear housing 2| secured to the bottom which imparts theGeneva motion to turret head i4 through a slotted wheel I5;

The mechanism by whicha metered' of filler material is depositedaporr'the'torepartf of each shoe is indicated generally at C; in Eig..1.

and includes a continuously .rotating vertical'. 'shaft 4d journallednear its lower end in a bearing Shaft Il, which is thus continuously? Ydriven, carries on its upper end a crank arml provided upon the underside of top wall l2, and

near its upper end4 in a bearing providediuporr the framework of saidmechanism C. At its lower c end shaft @El is; connected througlirasuitablegear train (not shown); to the-same motor ordriving mechanism asshaft |17' and is thus continually dri'veni whenl the Inaclfiinefisr inoperation.

The frame 52 of the mier .depositing mechanisrn. C' is supported part by'thefpivoii post 9 and in part by' two postsi 513i, 5b: projectingupwardly'f'rom thetop platel |22 of the base. -Rigdly fastened inposition upon. the. top` of pivot. .post

91 isa gauge platev 51, on which the.I front portion of `theframe 52' ofthe filler depositingv mechanism rests, and to. whichk it is fastened byscrews; asY

chambern 55 which, isnormally l'led with plastic filler material Yunderpressure created by' the screw which is continuously rotated as'described later. At vthe bottom of the delivery cl'rarnbei;-55v the xedtubular frame element 531- has a; longitudinal outlet slot 55 :which isnormallymaine tained 'closed by a valve sleeve 51 mad-e at its top witha delivery port the shape ofr a'lorrgitndinal slot 58.'. This valvesleeve is normally stationary but is mounted on the tubular frameyelement' 53 for rotary and also axial movement thereon.

`Atits one end valve sleeve 5:? has` a heardf59 (Figs. l and 3)- formedwith a'gea'r 6e and with a circumferential groove 6I". VVFixed' irr-`posi-tion upon the-opposite fend of said `Vvalve-sleeve is a collar :82between whichV and hea-d. 5a areal1'- ranged two ported gate sleeves;63.c and El! rotatablymounted one-within the other (Figs. 3, `5 and'7).4 Sleeves 63 and 6d have opposedports 63aand 64a, respectively,which-"overlap and jointly delinea variableoutlet. or delivery passagea.(Fig. 7) thatv `isrv permanently disposed directly beneath the outlet bof chamber 5'5'. It Vwill be clear that by rotatively adjusting themetering sleeves 6ta-nd 54 in oppositel directions, the size andcapacity of the delivery vpassage-65 will be increased or diminished.It'. will also be clear thatif the cutting delivery valve'sleeve.' 51 isrotated one-revolution., its port" 58 will pass between outlet 56. ofmember `55 and the composite delivery passage 65 ogvalvefsleeves and 64,with the result that ller material deliv- Y ered through passage 65 inan amount proportion under the ller depositing mechanism and theforepart of the shoe dwells for a period of time directly beneath thecomposite outlet passage 65, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 3.During the following period of rest of turret lll,

ftheyvalye sleeve 5i. is automatically'slid axially on the.tubularflrame element 5h toward the right (Fig. 3) for a purpose thatwill presently appear,

whereupon one complete revolution is imparted to it. whichcarries itsport 58 (Figs. 3 and 5) past vand between" the vertically alignedoutlets 56 and- 6.5:. As theport 5S passes between these ontlctaaxpredetermined quantity of the plastic fillermaterial=iisdischarged underpressure from the chamber 55 on tothe forepart of the shoe.

Adjacent to. thecollar 52 (Fig. 3) the sleeves @Blanch Micazrry radialarms 66 and 6l, respectivelyV (Fig. 5) provided at their cuter ends withVv`cane rolls '68 and 69, respectively. These cam rolls engagerelatively .oblique cam slots i0 and 'Hi (Fgz. (i) formed in. an arcuatecam, plate 12 on. theV frame '52; ofi the.l filler depositing;

mechanism. When valve sleeve 5:17l is axially moved as abovedescribed-f, it .carries the 'two sleeves. 6 -3 and 6'4 with it.kthereby moving; the cam rolls 'l ari-d 59; lengthwise off .thestationary cam slots; 'fr and Tlf, with; thefresult that the two sleevesare rotatively adjusted relativelyY to each other in-Vopposite,directions; thereby' enlarging the; outlet' (Fi-g. '7); to a'deg-ree proportionate to; the extent: of sucharialv movement. Asqwillappear later, the extent. or this axial movement is: proportionate tothe-length sifzev of the lasted shoe., Y

As a shoe is brought into-.the position indicated by dotted l-inesinFig. 3,.'the: deliyery passagef (Fig. 7,-) isf-adjusted toa.size'appropriate to the size of the shoeUand1 when vthe shoe is movedaway from this pos-tionaiter Athe delivery vci filler material hasbeer-r eeoted, the three: sleeves are automatically Vreturmed.@intonormal. positions,.s^leeves: 63- and 6d being rotated in theopposite-sense` thereby restoring the delivery passage, to. itsl normalVminimum .size shown in Fig'. 7. A mechanism for automatically shifting.the three sleeves 51., '63 and Edaxiall-y on the tubular frame element5.3 in.. vthemanner just set forth Vwill presentlybe described... Y

Adjacent to the. ller .depositing mechanism (Figs. l and 2) there isprovided .the :member This member has the form of a lever .that ispivotally mountedatl L93 .upon the top wall I2 of the. base ofthemachine,v and normally held by a spring |04 against a stop IE5' which.may be 4the ange at .the lower end of oneof the posts 5u. The jackmechanisms, which are more fully described in Patent No. 2,485,595,dated October 25, 1949, carry .cam rolls 'i8 which are pushed outward"when a lasted shoe is placed in the jack, the outward displacement ofthe roll being proport'onateto the size of` the shoe. While occupyingits normal position, the cam face |B2a of lever f6.2 isV just outsidethe path of the cam rolls I8 of the jack mechanisms as the latter movepast this lever whiIe empty. When, however, 'a jack :mechanism holding alasted shoe moves past the lever |132, the cam roll 18 'occupies anoperative position farther away `from the axis of thev turret head',contacts face iz'a, and swings caml'eyer I'BZ' outwardly on its'l pivotm3 an angular distance that isproportionate to the size ofi the shoe onsaid' jack mechanism.

Intermediate its ends'the carrib lever 192 .is connected by a universaljoint with. one end of a' link |06 whose opposite end is connected byanother universal joint with the lower end of an arm |01 (Figs. 1, 2, 13and 15) projecting downwardly from a horizontal rockshaft H6 -journalledin a bearing provided upon the frame 52 of the filler depositingmechanism C. This rockshaft is connected by spur pinions with a secondhorizontal rockshaft |2 also journalled in a bearing provided on frame52. This second rockshaft has xed to its opposite ends two upwardlyextending arms ||6, ||6a whose upper ends are connected by a pair oflinks ||1, ||1a with the opposite legs or branches of Va yoke ||4 Vwhoseupper end ispivotally supported at |15 on frame 52. The legs or branchesof yoke ||4 are provided at their lower ends with rolls ||8 occupyingthe groove 6| of the head 59 of sleeve valve 51. `rIt will thus be seenthat when a loaded jack mechanism arrives at the filler depositing mech-Vanisms the angular displacement of lever |02, vdue to the engagementtherewith of roll 18 of the jack mechanism, acts through the linkage-just described to adjust sleeve valve 51 and the two sleeves 63 and 64axially relatively to the 'iixed cam plate 12, thereby enlarging theoutlet passage 65 (Fig. 7) to a size that is appropriate 'for the sizeof the shoe carried by the jack mechanism. Y l

The fixed tubular frame element A53 (Figs. 3 `and 4) has adjacent to itsone end and at its top an inlet port ||9 in register with the lower endof aconduit|20 formed in frame 52, the upper end of this conduit beingin register with yan outlet |2| provided through the bottom wall of ahopper |22 adapted to hold a supply of plastic iiller material.Intermediate its upper vand lower ends this conduit has two enlargementsor chambers |23 and |24 within which are arranged, respectively,rotatably supported Lpaddle-carriers |25 and |26. Each of these carriershas a longitudinal transverse slot within which is loosely fitted apaddle blade |21 so that it is movable edgewise transversely or radiallywith respect to the axis of its carrier.

Recesses |28 at opposite sides of chambers |23 and |24 provide camsurfaces' engaging the opposite ends of the blades to move the same backand forth as the carriers are rotated in .the directions of the arrowsin Fig. 4.

'Ihe 90 arcuate portions of these recesses to which the referencenumerals |28 are applied in Fig. 4 are the only portions of the recesses|23 and I 24 which serve as blade-adjusting cams, and each of these camportions acts upon its blade to reverse the position thereof during eachhalf-revolution of the same.

While the vpaddles are continuously rotating, the filler material isdelivered into the upper end of the conduit'lZl! and is forceddownwardlythrough the latter by the paddles and delivered into the tubular frameelement 53 through inlet .tubular frame element 53 into a verticalcylindrical chamber |29 containing a continuously rotating feed screw|36 bywhich it is propelled vto the upper end of that chamber where thelatter is provided at one side thereof with an .outlet through which thematerial is delivered into one end of a horizontal cylindrical chamber|3|. Within the latter is larranged a continuously rotating feed screwwhich is an integral part of the blade-carrier |25 toward which thematerial is forced by the feed screw, some of the material beingreturned to hopper |22 through an inlet |33 and some passing alongsideof said blade-carrier into conduit |26.

Feed screw 54 (Fig. 3) is at one end connected to a shaft |34Vjournalled in a bearing on frame 52, and on this shaft are fixed apinion |35 and a worm gear |36 between which is provided a spur gear |31that is loosely mounted 0n the shaft. Worm gear |36 is continuouslydriven by a worm |36 (Figs. 3 and 13) fast on the vertical shaft 44hereinbefore referred to. The pinion |35 continuously drives a gear |38fast on a shaft |39 projecting from one end of lblade carrier |26, andgear |38 continuously drives a gear |40 fast on a shaft |4| projectingfrom one end -of blade carrier |25.

The loose gear |31 (Figs. 3 and 13) is normally at rest and meshes witha pinion |42 fast on one end of a horizontal shaft |43 journalled in abearing on frame 52 and carrying at its opposite end an elongate pinion|44 meshing with the gear 60 of the rotary sleeve valve 51. It will beclear that gear 60 always remains in mesh withvthe elongate pinion |44,however the sleeve valve 51 is adjusted axially by the yoke 4.

As shown in Fig. 12 the normally loose and stationary gear |31 has anelongate hub |45 on which is loosely splined a clutch member |46 having,at its outer end, lugs cooperating with corresponding clutch lugsprovided upon the inner face of worm gear |36 toward which said Vclutchmember is yieldingly urged by a. coiled spring |41 surrounding the same.

Normally the clutch member |46 is engaged by a cam detent arm |46 (Figs.1, 3, 13 and 16) by which it is held away from, and out of mesh with,the clutch face of worm gear |36 so that gear |31, shaft |43 and thesleeve valve 51 are normally at rest. The detent arm |48 is fast on ahorizontal rockshaft |49 journalled in bearings on frame 52 and to theouter end of which is fixed a depending arm |50. As shown in Figs. l, 2,13 and 15, the lower end of this depending arm is connected by auniversal joint with Vone end of a link |5| whose opposite end isconnected by a universal joint with the free end of a lever |52 that ispivotally mounted at |53 upon the top wall I2 of the base of themachine. A spring |54 connected with lever |52 normally holds the latterat the limit of its movement in one direction against a stop' |55,herein shown as the flange at the lower end of one of the posts 56, sothat it acts through the connections described to maintain the detentarm |48 (Figs, 1, 3, 13 and 16) in a position at the limit of itsmovement toward shaft |34, where it holds clutch member |46 out ofengagement with the rotating gear 36.

The hub of lever |52 has a tangentially disposed socket |56 (Figs. l and2) within which 'is slidably mounted a spring pressed abutment .memberor latch abutment |51, whereof one end is beveled and projects beyondsocket |56 to cooperate with the free end of the cam lever |02hereinbefore referred to. The outer exposed end of abutment latch |51 isprovided with a flat side surface normally occupying a position in thepath of the free end of lever |02 so that ,when the latter is swung onits pivot by one of the Arolls 16 of a last jack mechanism,` the freeend of `said lever |02 moves past abutment|51 and in passing swingslever |52 which, through the connections described, momentarily liftsde- 'tent |48 (Figs. l, 3 and 16) fro-m its normal po- Vsition betweenclutch members |46 and |66. This movement of the detent permits spring|41 (Fig. 12) to shift clutch member |46 into clutching engagement withworm gear |36, which acts through said clutch member to impart a singlerevolution to gear |31 and sleeve valve 51, whereupon clutch member V|46is again 'cammed out of engagement with the worm gear and stopped bydetent |48. Thus detent |48, clutch member |46 and spring |41 are partsof a Ione-reVolution-and-stop mechanism that is' controlled andoperated'by the cam lever |62 to bring about a single revolution ofsleeve valve '51 immediately upon arrival of a loaded jack mechanism inposition beneath the filler depositing mechanism C. It will be notedthat when the loaded jack mechanism `departs from this position, thespring |04 (Fig. 2) restores lever |02 to its normal position, the noseat the free end of said lever wiping idly across the outer beveled Aendof latch abutment |51 as said lever is thus returned. Y

Near its upper end the cylindrical hopper |22 is provided at oppositesides with bearings supporting a horizontal transverse shaft |58, on oneend of which is ixed a worm gear |59 that is continuously driven by aworm |60 fast on the upper end of the Vertical shaft 64. At itsopposite:end the shaft |58 isoonnected by miter gears |6| with the upper end ofa vertical` shaft thatis an integral part of the feed screw |36 referredto above. Thus allrof the material-feeding screws, as well Aas thepaddles |21 (Fig. 3), are in motion while the machine is operating.

Near its middle the horizontal shaft |58 is connected by bevel gears |63with the upper end of a vertical shaft |64 rotatably supported withinafixed bearing provided at the center of the hopper, and to the lower endof this shaft are -xed approximately radial arms |65 each of which isprovided at its outer end with an upright scraper blade |66 disposedclose tov and parallel with the cylindrical wall of the hopper. Shaft|64, arms |65 and blades |66 constitute a continuously rotating agitatorwhich dislodges'the filler material from the hopper wall and also sweepssaid material toward and into the upperend of conduit |20.

The hopper can be conveniently loaded with filler material by placing acylindrical container PY with the viscous material in invertedpositih'upon thel conical section |22a of the hopper (Fig. 1). Thematerial will then flow into the hopper while the entire mass is fairlywell sealed from'the atmosphere, which is often desirable.

After a predetermined Aquantity of filler material has been deliveredonto the shoe at stationC (Fig. 1) the next step movement of the turrethead may bring the shoe into position under a spreading mechanism, forexample, a mechanism of the type described in Patent No. 2,485,595,dated October 25, 1949, which evenly distributes the deposited llermaterial-within the forcpart cavity of the shoe. This mechanism,

'as illustrated in Figs. 8, 9, 10 and 1l, is supported by an upstandingbracket 42 mounted on top Wall I2 at station D (Fig. 1). A slide 4| ismounted on bracket 42 so as to slide radially toward or away from thecenter of the turret head, and carries vertical inner ways in which ismounted a second` slide consisting of two telescoping sections |61 and|68. The upper endet lower sec-tion |61 forms a rectangular shanl whichvisY sl-idablyntted in thelvertical ways of slide 4|.. In the upperpartof the shank is a cylindrical bore |69. The lower part of section |68 istubular, Aand is slidably tted within bore |68. Section |68 terminatesat its upper end in a rectangular flange |10 whichis slidably tted inthe vertical ways of slide 4|. The upper vend of section |68 viscounterbored and provided with a bolt |1| which extends through thetubular part of section |68 and `is secured in a tapped hole in section|61. The lower part of section |68 is also counterbored to provide aseat for a coil spring |1-2 which is assembled under initialcompressionY so Vas to maintain the compound slide, consisting ofsections |61 and |68, extended as shown in Figs. 9 and 10 when thepressing mechanism is idle.

Section |61 has a yoke |13 in which is journalle'd a pintle |16. Asecond pintle |15 is journalled in pintle |16. A shoe pressing pad |14isv mounted on pintle |15, which runs through pintle |16, and is boredto allow clearance for pintle |16. This mounting provides `forindependent rocking movement of the pad |14 about two horizontal axes. Y

The upper end of section |68 carries a camv roll |11. Bolted to bracket42 is a radially disposed cam rail |18 having an incline |18'av near itsinner end. Slide 4| is bored to accommodate a pair of bolts and coilsprings |19. The bolts are secured in tapped holes in yoke |13. Thesprings |19 serve to hold cam roller 11 in yielding engagement with thecam rail.

When a shoe holding the Vmetered quantityof ller is brought intoposition under the pressing device the slide 4| is reciprocated onceradially by a suitable mechanism (not shown). As the slide nears theinner limit of its travel at a point corresponding to the position ofthe forepart of the shoe, cam roller |11 is forced down the incline|18a. Spring |12 is much stiffer than springs |19, and serves to holdthe compound slide |61-|68 fully extended as the cam roller |11 travelsdown incline |18a prior to the engagement of pad |14 with the shoe. Themechanism is so arranged that pad |14 comes in contact with the shoeshortly before roller |11 reaches the lower end of Slope |11. Spring |12is thereafter compressed. Each reeiprocation of slide 44 causes roller|11 to move Ydown slope `|16a, travel horizontally for some distancetoward the axis of the turret head, and then return to the idleposition. During each such reciprocation pressing pad |14 is broughtinto conta-ct with the forepart of the shoe which is in place under thepressing mechanism, reciprocated back and forth under pressure acrossthe forepart, and returned to the idle position where the pad comes intocontact with a lubricating device generally indicated by the numeral |8|(Fig. 8). This motion of the pad serves to distribute and smooth theller material Vwhich has been previously deposited on the forepart ofthe shoe by the `filler metering mechanism.

It should be understood that the present'disclosure is for the purposeof illustration only 'and that this-invention includes all modicationsand equivalents which fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. In a machine of the class described, a'ller delivering mechanismcomprising a hopper for holding a supply of plastic ller material; ahorizontal tubular delivery conduit leading into an outlet; means fortransmitting filler material from said hopper under pressure into saidtubular conduit; a normally closed valve sleeve for controlling saidoutlet rotatably mounted and -axially movable, upon said tubulardelivery conduit, and having a longitudinal slot; a pair of gate sleevesrotatably supported by, and movable axially with, said valve sleeve,said gate sleeves being disposed one Within the other and havingoverlapping cut-outs which provide a Vsecond outlet permanently inregister with said iirst outlet and variable as to size by relativeangular adjustment of said gate sleeves in opposite directions; meansfor independently rotating said valve sleeve to pass its slot betweensaid tWo outlets thereby to effect delivery of ller material; meansoperable to shift said three sleeves axially on said tubular conduit;and fixed cam means for adjusting said gate sleeves angularly inopposite directions, thereby regulating the size of said second outletwhen said gate sleeves are shifted axially.

2. In a machine of the type described, a plastic material deliveringmechanism comprising: a material container; a delivery chamber having adischarge port; means for transmitting said material from said containerinto said chamber; a slide normally closing said port; a pair of gatesleeves superimposed movably relative to each other on said slide andsaid port and together defining a metering opening of variable area;means for operating said slide to open and to close said port, andadjusting means for moving said gate sleeves, thereby setting adischarge opening of predeterminable area.

3. Mechanism according to claim 2 wherein said chamber, said slide andsaid sleeves comprise coaxially mounted cylindrical tubes incorporatingsaid port and said opening as cut-outs.

4. Mechanism according to claim 3 having means for axially moving saidsleeves, thereby varying said area of said discharge opening.

5. In a machine of the type described, a plastic ller deliveringmechanism comprising a ller container, a delivery chamber having adischarge port; means for transmitting filler under pressure from saidcontainer into said chamber, a cutting slide normally closing said port;a pair of gate sleeves superimposed movabiy relative to each other onsaid slide and said port and together defining a metering opening or"variable area; means for operating said slide to open and to close saidport, and adjusting means i'or moving said gate sleeves, thereby settinga discharge opening of predeterminable area.

6. In a machine of the type described, a plastic material deliveringmechanism comprising: a material container; a tubular delivery chamberhaving a discharge port; means for transmitting said material from saidcontainer into said chamber; a tubular slide mounted coaxially withrespect to said chamber, having an opening suitably located foralignment with said port; a pair of tubular gate sleeves coaxiallymounted with respect to said slide and having cut-outs which togetherdefine a metering opening of variable area; adjusting means for movingsaid gate sleeves, thereby setting a discharge opening ofpredeterminable area; and means for rotating said slide so as to bringthe opening therein into, and out of alignment with said port, therebyopening and closing said port.

CARL F. HAMMANN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the iile ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,151,751 Barenz Aug. 3l, 19151,365,781 Hartnett Jan. 18, 1921

